No coal shortage for power plants: Sriprakash Jaiswal

Lucknow: Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on Wednesday said there is no shortage of coal for power plants in the country and applauded state-run CIL for its good production growth. "It is heartening that Coal India's (production) growth in the first half of the year has crossed nine per cent and we hope that it would double by the end of the year. Last year this growth percentage was zero," he said.

Stating that there is no shortage of coal for the power plants, he said this year coal supply has been 12 per cent more than last year to the power sector in the country. On coal block allotment, Jaiswal said after the inter-ministerial review 13 allotments have been cancelled, while bank guarantee of some others have been seized. The Coal Minister said that CVC is getting the irregularities in coal block allotment probed through the CBI and strict action would be taken against the guilty on its report.

On coal regulator, he said a group of ministers has been set up by the prime minister which is expected to give its report in a month's time. To a question, he said that coal linkage and block has been given to all the concerned power plants in UP under the 12th five year plan. Terming communal tension in Faziabad as unfortunate, he hoped that UP government led by Akhilesh Yadav would take effective steps in this regard and restore normalcy and action against those responsible.

Jaiswal said this year coal supply has been 12 per cent more than last year to the power sector in the country.